Gaucho Country, Fertile Soil

I am traveling, changing hotels almost daily and preaching an average of 7 times a week… actually 11 times in the past 8 days.  At this moment I am in the southern part of Buenos Aires province visiting churches in many cities and little country towns.  This is truly “gaucho-land”... “cowboy country.”   Huge production of cereals and beef cattle come from this fertile area.

Check out my hotel reception desk in 25 de Mayo.  Our very first Assemblies of God church in Argentina was founded in 1917 by Missionary Alice Wood who arrived here in 1910 and spent 50 years serving faithfully without a furlough.  “She founded the church and Sunday School in a town called 25 de Mayo where she faithfully ministered to both the rich and the poor. Her work touched the lives of doctors, lawyers, bankers, storekeepers and field workers. Her efforts in Argentina helped lay the foundation for the revival that continues to transfigure this nation today.” (http://ifphc.org/pdf/Heritage/1986_01.pdf)

Alice Wood gave it all!  When aged and sickly she was taken to the USA and passed away a year later. 

Today Matilde Díaz, the widow of Pastor Diaz, who followed Alice Wood, continues to pastor this church with the help of her son.  They gathered a lovely group of the faithful to hear me minister on Monday night October 29.  Seated on the floor, future servants of God beam with big smiles as they watch Felipe.  (Pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.)

Tuesday and Wednesday I preached in churches in the city of Pehuajo, then... 

Thursday afternoon in the open air in Azul with a group of delightful children where Sister Marta meets with them in a field weekly to give them Jesus.  Some come from disastrous homes of abuse and hopelessness.  Marta is making an eternal difference in these lives.  Picture title: "Precious Spectator".

That same evening I preached in a powerful church in Olavarria with Pastor Jorge Bardey, who has an international ministry.
Our AG church in nearby Bolivar was also established and built around 1917.  Pastor Daniel Perez gathered several churches and ministers from other denominations for my Friday service complete with a dinner following the service for all the ministers and wives.

Someone told me years ago that missionary Alice Wood had prophesied that the AG church in Henderson would produce many ministers.  The last count I heard was 54 ministers and wives… and that from a little country church!  Talk about fertile soil! Jose Manuel Carlos, our pastor in La Boca church was saved as a young tango singer here.  Now 89 youth from his church in La Boca pastor over 70,000!  And today the little town of Henderson has grown to 10,000.  Now hear this: More than 1,100, that's over 10% of the city’s population, faithfully attend this church today!  Picture: At the close of the message a new crop of children, youth and adults in Henderson promise God their "everything" as I pump my old accordion.

 

Henderson Pastors Horacio and Mabel Zara accompanied me through their beautiful new sanctuary and Bible student facility including radio and TV instalations. You can see the satelite dish and radio antenna tower in background.

Missionary and former pastor Frederick Clements from the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is buried here in Henderson.   I recognize that we, here in Argentina, stand on the shoulders of some of God’s greatest servants!
 
Ralph